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ifr161209–276
TCP–161207–02Christmas Tree Selection & Care | an interview with Ron Wolford
Ron Wolford, Extension Horticulture Specialist - University of Illinois
extension.illinois.edu/treesChristmas just isn’t Christmas without a real Christmas tree. The following are a few hints to help you select that perfect tree whether you purchase it from a neighborhood lot or a Christmas tree farm.Decide on where you will place the tree. Will it be seen from all sides or will some of it be up against a wall? Be sure to choose a spot away from heat sources, such as TVs, fireplaces, radiators and air ducts. Place the tree clear of doors.Measure the height and width of the space you have available in the room where the tree will be placed. There is nothing worse than bringing a tree indoors only to find it’s too tall. Take a tape measure with you to measure your chosen tree and bring a cord to tie your tree to the car.Remember that trees sold on retail lots in urban areas may have come from …

ifr161202–274How to Connect your Site to the Prospective Business | webinar
Nancy Ouedraogo, Extension Community & Economic Development
pronouncer - (way-drawn-oh) University of Illinois Extension’s Community and Economic Development team will host a free webinar, Site Selection: How to Connect your Site to the Prospective Business, on Thursday, December 8, 2016 from Noon to 1PM, Central Time.The webinar, a final in Local Government Education’s fall series on economic development in Illinois, will feature Cheryl Welge, who will be presenting a more detailed discussion of the site selection process. In the previous site selection webinar, we covered the state and technical aspects of Location One and site selection in Illinois. During this upcoming webinar, Cheryl will share her expertise on capacity requirements for site selection from the site selector perspective.As a senior business development executive in Ameren Corporation’s Economic Development Department, Cheryl serves as…

ifr161202–2732016 Gross Farm Revenue & Income
Gary Schnitkey, Extension Agricultural Economist - University of IllinoisIt looks like this year is going to be better than last year for farmers in central Illinois. Todd Gleason explores how gross income has changed for row croppers in the middle of the prairie state. 2:28 radio
2:37 radio self-containedHere are the gross revenue numbers, straight up, for highly productive soils in central Illinois. The gross revenue for corn is $292 per acre. It is tallied from three income sources. The crop is worth $262. There was a $20 farm safety net payment from the ARC-County program and a $10 crop insurance indemnity. The total, again $292, is lower than last year says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey. Schnitkey :19 …2016 as compared to 2015.Quote Summary - Even though we are putting in a very high yield, we are using 231 bushels to the acre for the corn average - the same as in 2014, revenues will be down for corn…

The big story in Illinois agriculture in 2016 continued to be the “margin squeeze” faced by crop producers. This squeeze was brought on by low corn, soybean, and wheat prices and costs of production that are only slowly adjusting to the new price realities. At present prices, further cost of production reductions will be required. Producers and landowners face a series of difficult management challenges as they grapple with how to adjust to the changed environment. Should cash rents be lowered? And if so, by how much? How much relief will be seen through lower fertilizer and seed prices? What are the prospects for grain prices to recover from current depressed levels?

University of Illinois Extension and members of the farmdoc team from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics will be holding a series of five Farm Economics Summit meetings to help producers navigate these difficult times.

ifr161202–270EPA Renewable Fuels Standard Rallies Soybean Oil PricesSource | Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois The price of soybeans rallied about 10 percent from mid-October to mid-November. It came, as Todd Gleason reports, despite the record sized crop harvested in the United States. 2:23 radio
2:35 radio self contained Farmers have been in awe of the soybean market since mid-August. There have been a few reasons for it to rally; a short crop out of South America and a drought constrained supply of palm oil coming from Indonesia for instance. Still, this U.S. soybean crop is big, mighty big in fact. Yet, the price of soybeans has gone higher. Darrel Good writes about it in this week’s Weekly Outlook. You may read it online at FarmDocDaily. There are two unusual things about this price rally. Well, one really, but it is driven by the first. The rally has come because the world seems to be short of vegetable oils. Soybean oil is among those. Here’s the impo…

University of Illinois Extension is working to find ways for corner stores in rural and urban areas to provide more fruits and vegetables. It hopes to resolve issues where populations no longer have access to a general grocery store.

ifr161125–266Could Soybean Stocks Grow to 580 Million
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Depending upon how you do the numbers there could be an enormous supply of soybeans in the U.S. by the time the fall of 2018 rolls around. Todd Gleason has one set of calculations. The large soybean crop in the United States hasn’t…
2:46 radio
2:57 radio self contained The large soybean crop in the United States hasn’t, yet, pummeled prices in Chicago. However, farmers are a bit worried the hammer blow will be struck. For now, much of the focus is on the potential size of the 2017 South American crops and the implications for demand for U.S. grown soybeans. Increasingly, however focus will shift to 2017 production prospects here in the United States. The over-riding question is whether surpluses and low prices will persist for another year. Although University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good says it is a bit early to speculate on supply and consumption pros…

Ethanol was a factor in both the price run-up that began in 2006 and the price run-down that began in 2013. Tepid growth replaced explosive growth. The question for the future is, “What is ethanol’s organic growth rate (growth without government policy stimulus)?” Recent history suggests growth will continue in the corn ethanol market, but it likely will be notably lower than the growth in yields. Thus, upward pressure on corn prices is less likely.Corn Ethanol in Historical Perspective
US Department of Agriculture data on US corn processed into US ethanol begin with the 1980 crop. It is reported monthly in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Corn processed into ethanol grew at an average annual rate of 6% between 1985 and 2000, exploded to a 24% annual growth rate between 2000 and 2010, then slowed to 1% per year after 2010 Etha…

ifr161118–262Watch the Feed Usage Number for Corn
Josh Hubbs, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Last week, when USDA raised the sized of the U.S. corn crop, there was a collective gasp in farm country. Prices are already very low, and an even bigger crop wasn’t expected. Todd Gleason reports all attention now has turned to how this mammoth supply of corn will be used in hopes consumption can chew through the mountain of corn. U.S. farmers are harvesting their largest…
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3:45 radio self contained U.S. farmers are harvesting their largest corn crop on record at some 15.2 billion bushels. It’s the western corn belt that really came through this year with big yields. The November USDA Crop Production report shows that even in the last month those yields got bigger. Up 3 bushel to the acre in Nebraska and South Dakota. 4 bushels higher in Minnesota. And a 17 bushel to the acre increase in North Dakota that came about once farmers (the only real source for yields in t…

It’s pretty clear the debate over farm policy in Washington, D.C. is gearing up. There’s a grassroots effort underway in Illinois to get farmer opinions on the current state of the Farm Bill and how they’d like it change in the future. Todd Gleason has more on how this is happening with a University of Illinois agricultural policy specialist.

ifr161111–255Fall Pumpkin Time - an interview with Mahommad Babadoost
Mahommad Babadoost - Extension Fruit & Vegetable Crops - University of IllinoisThe 2016 pumpkin crop has been a very good one, especially in comparison to last year’s.

ifr161111–254November is National Diabetes Month
Marilyn Csernus, Nutrition & Wellness Educator - University of IllinoisHUS NIH WebsiteNovember is National Diabetes Month. Todd Gleason talks about the disease and its impact with University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Educator Marilyn Csernus.

ifr161104–253Plenty of Pumpkins for Holiday Pies
Mohammad Babadoost, Extension Plant Pathologist - University of Illinois
(moe-hahm-id bah-buh-doost)There should be plenty of pumpkin pie filling for the holidays. Todd Gleason has more from the number one pumpkin producing state in the nation. Unlike last year this season’s pumpkin…
0:46 radio
0:52 radio self contained Unlike last year this season’s pumpkin crop is a good one says University of Illinois Extension specialist Mohammad Babadoost. Babadoost :27 …having enough canned pumpkin in the market.Quote Summary - This year we started the season very favorably with enough moisture for the seed to germinate and establish a good canopy. It was also dry enough for the crop to not be flooded or have major disease problems develop early. This year’s crop is much better compared to last year’s. So, we shouldn’t have any problem with having enough canned pumpkin in the marketplace.About ninety-percent of the nation’s processing pumpkins are…

ifr161104–2512016 Crop Insurance Payments
Gary Schnitkey, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois This season’s crop insurance setting period for corn and soybeans has ended. Todd Gleason has more on what farmers across the United States might expect from the program.Harvest prices used to determine crop…
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1:46 radio self contained Harvest prices used to determine crop insurance payments for corn and soybean policies in the Midwest are based on Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group) futures settlement prices during the month of October. The 2016 harvest price for corn is $3.49 per bushel. This is 10% lower than the $3.86 projected price set in February. The soybean harvest price is $9.75 per bushel. That’s 10% higher than the $8.85 projected price. For the most part it means crop insurance payments to farmers will be relatively low says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey. Schnitkey :28 …did not fall as much this year.Quote Summary - If we l…

ifr161104–249Crop Insurance Payments - an interview with Gary Schnitkey
Gary Schnitkey, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Harvest prices used to determine crop insurance payments for corn and soybeans policies in Midwest states are based on settlement prices of Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) during the month of October. October has come to an end, and 2016 harvest prices are known. The 2016 harvest price for corn is $3.49 per bushel, 10% lower than the $3.86 projected price. The soybean harvest price is $9.75 per bushel, 10% higher than the $8.85 projected price. Todd Gleason talked with University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey about the expected payments.

ifr161104–248Assessing the Potential for Higher Corn Prices
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois The odds are against four dollar cash corn this year and next, at least for any extended period of time. Todd Gleason has more on the long term low price trend. The monthly average price of corn received…
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3:35 radio self containedThe monthly average cash price paid to farmers in the United States for their corn has been less than $4.00 a bushel for 27 consecutive months. It’s likely to stay that way well into 2017, too, says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good unless something changes.Good :11 …for an extended period of time.Quote Summary - Some combination of a reduction in corn supplies and increased consumption will be required in order for prices to move above $4.00 per bushel for an extended time.On the supply side, or how much corn is around, USDA’s next Crop Production report is due November 9th. It will contain a new forecast…

ifr161028–245Fall Weed Control Vital - an interview with Aaron Hager
Aaron Hager, Extension Weed Scientist - University of Illinois Now is the time to control winter annuals in farm fields. Todd Gleason has more on the options.learn more here

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TCP–161026–01Using Health Insurance to Protect Your Financial Well Being
Kathy Sweedler, Consumer Economics Educator - University of Illinois ExtensionHealth insurance is one good way to protect yourself against a financial catastrophe. Todd Gleason has more from the University of Illinois.learn more here

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TCP–161026–01Signing Up for the Affordable Care Act
Kathy Sweedler, Consumer Economics Educator - University of Illinois ExtensionThe health insurance sign up period for the Affordable Care Act starts November 1st. Todd Gleason discusses the program, commonly called Obamacare, and its sign up period with University of Extension Consumer Economics Educator Kathy Sweedler. learn more here

ifr161021–239Big Crop Strong Exports an interview with Todd Hubbs
Todd Hubbs, Agricultural Economist - University of IllinoisFarmDocDaily SourceIt is likely the export markets along with South American production prospects will drive only periodic price increases for corn and soybeans says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Todd Hubbs in this interview with Todd Gleason.

ifr161014–238Sell Soybeans for Cash Needs
Darrel Good, Agricultural EconThe United States Department of Agriculture has reported the size of this year’s soybean crop and for the second month in a row it has increased the size of what was already a record breaker. Todd Gleason reports that trend is likely to continue.USDA in its October Crop Production report…
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2:07 radio self containedUSDA, in its October Crop Production report, raised the average national soybean yield by eight-tenths of a bushel. It now stands at 51.4 bushels to the acre and about 4.3 billion bushels strong. It is already a serious record breaker, but not likely big enough, yet, says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good.Good :25 …what we are looking at right now. Quote Summary - Well, I think, taking all the evidence together, saying now that we got bigger in September, and we got bigger in October on soybeans, and the crop is already very big…I think would point to another small incre…

ifr161014–234Corn Use for Ethanol Production
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois This Wednesday USDA will update its corn crop estimates including the size of this year’s harvest and how it will be used. Todd Gleason has more…Darrel Good, from the University of Illinois, thinks the crop…
1:55 radio
2:05 radio self contained Darrel Good, from the University of Illinois, thinks the crop will be slightly smaller than last month’s forecast. The question is really how much of this crop will be consumed between now and next fall. Last month the Ag Department projected increased usage in several key areas including a 13.6 percent year-over-year increase for exports, an 8.7 percent uptick in feed and residual use, and even, notes Darrel Good, a 1.3 percent increase in corn used to make ethanol. Good :49 …110 million bushels to feedstock requirements. Quote Summary - The use of corn for ethanol production during the current marketing year will be influenced by a number…

ifr161007–233Harrington Seed Destructor Testing
Adam Davis, USDA Agricultural Research Service - University of Illinois The Harrington Seed Destructor is being tested by the University of Illinois for field level efficacy to control herbicide resistant weeds.

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TCP–161007–02Green Infrastructure & Neighborhoods an interview with Bill Sullivan
Bill Sullivan, Landscape Architect - University of Illinois There is good evidence that suggests small amounts of nature mixed into neighborhoods can make them friendlier places to live.

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TCP–161007–01Green Infrastructure & Stress an interview with Bill Sullivan
Bill Sullivan, Landscape Architect - University of Illinois If you are looking for an easy way to release some of the stress in your life, you might think about taking a walk in a park or just buying some house plants.

ifr160930–128Grain Farm Working Capital Nearly Exhausted
Gary Schnitkey, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Four consecutive years of lower commodity prices has nearly exhausted the financial resources of U.S. grain farmers. Todd Gleason looks into the problem with an agricultural economist from the University of Illinois.Working capital is used by farmers…
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1:59 radio self contained Working capital is used by farmers to buffer their low income years. They do this by building up their bank accounts, grain inventories and other assets during years of plenty. A review of the farms in the Illinois FBFM recording keeping service shows farmers did that from 2006 to 2012 says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey.Schnitkey :25 …working capital anymore.Quote Summary - So, that was the era of high commodity prices and high incomes. Farmers increased working capital, then, and now we are in the process of reducing again. By the end of 2016, it will…

ifr160930–227Too Early to Sell the 2017 Soybean Crop
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois There’s a nagging question farmers are wondering about as they harvest what is quite likely to be their best soybean crop ever. Is it so good, so plentiful, that it might be time to consider selling some of next year’s crop. Todd Gleason has more…Let’s start with some plain facts…
3:23 radio
3:39 radio self containedLet’s start with some plain facts. The price of soybeans from April through August was higher, on average, than it was in the prior seven months. This says Darrel Good is because the trade expected there to be a whole lot of soybeans leftover from last years harvest by the time right now arrived. Something like 450 million bushels. That didn’t happen. The South American crop failed and U.S. exports jumped by 250 million bushels. Like most of the previous years, all but one since 2008, this left fewer than 200 bushels in the bin from the previous season’s soybea…

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TCP–160928–02Gardening | Why Not to Cut Your Perennials this Fall
Kim Ellson, University of Illinois Extension Educator - Cook County, IllinoissourceMost gardeners will associate the cutting and removal of perennials and raking of leaves as typical autumn chores. Naturally we want to ensure we are left with a garden that looks tidy and presentable, and we can rest assured that come springtime we will not have to tackle these chores in addition to controlling spring weeds. However removing all this plant material can be fatal for next year’s butterfly population.

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TCP–160928–01Building Your Compost Pile
Duane Friend, Extension Educator - University of IllinoisSourcePut a pile of leaves, a cardboard box and a watermelon in your back yard, exposed to the elements, and they will eventually decompose. How long each takes to break down depends on a number of factors. Backyard composting is a process designed to speed up the breakdown or decomposing of organic materials. Let’s take a closer look at how we manipulate the process and speed things up.

ifr160923–223Not Much Chance USDA Will Change Corn Yield or Acreage
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Barring a weather catastrophe in the United States, there isn’t much that’s likely to change USDA’s corn production calculation. Todd Gleason has more…Early corn yield reports have been good…
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2:10 tv cg Early corn yield reports have been good, but pretty variable. There are more than few concerns about a disease called diplodia, too. Some are beginning to piece these items together to make a case for USDA to lower its corn yield estimate. This isn’t very likely thinks University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good. Good :27 …estimate are bucking history, but you can’t rule it out.Quote Summary - The fact is, if you look at the last 20 years of history, there is a strong tendency of the corn yield estimate to get higher in January compared to what it was in September. This has happened 70% of the time in…

ifr160923–219Hand Washing Prevents Disease
Diane Reinhold, Extension Nutrition & Wellness Educator - University of IllinoisPress ReleaseThink about this: Do you wash your hands after taking out the garbage? Touching your face or hair? Petting the dog? Changing a diaper? Blowing your nose? Sneezing? Before and after putting on a Band-Aid? Before sitting down for a meal? Before and after handling raw meat? After using the bathroom? According to the 2015 annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey, only 66% of Americans report washing their hands after using the bathroom. Washing hands is the simplest and one of the most effective methods in preventing food poisoning. Spending an extra 20–30 seconds in the restroom properly washing hands can prevent hours spent in there later due to food poisoning.

ifr160922–216Waiting for a Shift in U.S. Corn Acres
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Farmers in the United States are about to harvest one of their best corn crops ever and prices are low. Todd Gleason reports they may need to hang on to the crop for while if they want a better offer, and that could take a shift to soybeans next spring. The United States Department of Agriculture…
1:50 radio
2:06 radio self containedThe United States Department of Agriculture judges this year’s corn crop to be a record breaker. If it all comes in as predicted in USDA’s September reports there will be none bigger, and the market believes it so far. The price of corn has dropped about a dollar a bushel since earlier in the summer. This price isn’t likely to change much thinks Darrel Good until some new information comes along in one of the USDA reports, and that might not be until next spring.Good :28 …relief on the supply side of the corn market. Quote Summary - As long as w…

ifr160916–214The Big Story from the Monday Reports
Darrel Good, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois The big story from the September USDA reports is the size of the soybean crop in the United States. Todd Gleason has more on the implications of the fifty plus bushel to the acre yield.2:53 radio
3:08 radio self contained The soybean crop in the United States is big. Record breaking, in fact, on two fronts. The 50.6 bushel to the acre national average yield is the largest ever, and it will consequently produce a record breaking four-billion-two-hundred-and-one million bushels of beans. This staggering number makes USDA’s August guess at the size of the crop look meager. It was 1.7 bushels to the acre less and when the September number was released the trade collectively gasped and turned in hopes to the consumption part of the USDA Supply and Demand table. They were most definitely surprised says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good.Good :35 …last year, …

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TCP–160907–01Fall Lawn Care; seeding & over-seeding
Tom Voigt, Extension Turf Grass Specialist - University of Illinois Fall is the best time of year to plant grass says Tom Voigt. He is a turf grass specialist for University of Illinois Extension. Take time this fall to assess your yard, patch dead areas, control weeds, and fertilize.

ifr160902–201Dealing with Tree Leaves
Rhonda Ferree, Extension Horticulture Educator - University of IllinoisRather than bagging or removing fallen leaves, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Rhonda Ferree suggests using them in your yard.“The tree leaves that accumulate in and around your landscape represent a valuable natural resource that can be used to provide a good source of organic matter and nutrients for use in your landscape,” Ferree says. “Leaves contain 50 to 80 percent of the nutrients a plant extracts from the soil and air during the season. Therefore, leaves should be managed and used rather than bagged or burned.”Ferree says adding a 2-inch layer of leaf mulch adds approximately 150 pounds of nitrogen, 20 pounds of phosphorus, and 65 pounds of potassium per acre. Due to natural soil buffering and breakdown in most soil types, leaf mulch also has no significant effect on soil pH. Even oak leaves, which are acid (4.5 to 4.7 pH) when fresh, break down t…

Urbana, Illinois - Wednesday morning September 7, 2016 University of Illinois Extension Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey presented a webinar looking forward into 2017. The discussion centered on farm profitability, projected income, and cash rents. You may the watch the webinar. What follows is a summary of the hour long content.

The USDA WASDE monthly average corn price is $4.67 from 2006 to 2016. The price of corn has been below this average since the fall of 2013 & Gary Schnitkey believes it is likely to continue to stay below this average through the 2017/18 crop year.

Each year USDA tracks the average marketing year cash price. This price is updated monthly in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. The average cash price for corn from 1975 to 2005 is $2.33, $5.95 for soybeans. This is a long term national average cash price. The USDA projected estimates for this marketing year (2016/17) are currently $3.15 and $9.10. The USDA estima…

Labor Day (First Monday in September)
Source: US Embassy Stockholm Sweden This piece is self contained. It needs no anchor introI’m Todd Gleason for University of Illinois…
3:19I’m Todd Gleason for University of Illinois Extension with a history of labor day in the United States. It’s adapted from a story found on the United States Embassy to Sweden’s website.Eleven-year-old Peter McGuire sold papers on the street in New York City. He shined shoes and cleaned stores and later ran errands. It was 1863 and his father, a poor Irish immigrant, had just enlisted to fight in the Civil War. Peter had to help support his mother and six brothers and sisters.Many immigrants settled in New York City in the nineteenth century. They found that living conditions were not as wonderful as they had dreamed. Often there were six families crowded into a house made for one family. Thousands of children had to go to work. Working conditions were even worse. Immigrant men, women and children worked in fact…

ifr160902–199Low Returns, Crop Prices Keeping Pressure on Farmland Values
Gary Schnitkey, Agricultural Economist - University of IllinoisThe price of Illinois farmland is falling. Todd Gleason has more on the pullback.Over the first six months of the year the price…
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2:02 tv
2:08 self contained Over the first six months of the year the price of farmland in Illinois dropped between three and seven percent shows a new survey. The numbers were analyzed by the University of Illinois and given the decrease those responding to the poll expect Illinois cash rents to drop by about $20 an acre next year. Although, U of I agricultural economist Gary Schnitkey has penciled in $17. Schnitkey :22 …combining the two, we have less of a decline.Quote Summary - The Illinois Society members indicated cash rents were coming down $20. We are using $17 in our budgets to account for the fact not all land is managed by Society members and there is still some land that is …

ifr160819–1902017 Looks to be Farm Losses Year 4
Gary Schnitkey, Agricultural Economist - University of Illinois Extension
Tom Tracy, CEO & President - Farm Credit IllinoisThe big corn and soybean crops in the United States are putting pressure on prices for this year and next. The result, as Todd Gleason reports, could be the fourth year in a row of losses on grain farms in the Midwest.The crop in the Midwest looks great…
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2:22 radio self contained
…tv to be released todayThe crops in the Midwest look great! Phenomenal! Unbelievable in fact. However, with so much bounty in the field comes incredibly tight budgets on the farm. Grain farmers will lose money not only this year says University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey, but probably next year, too. Schnitkey :25 …2017 if those in fact do turn out to be the prices.Quote Summary - What we are looking at is 2017. The recent large crops have lowered our projected prices to $3.50 for corn and $9.00 for so…